Spinosaurus
Coloration: Male – ''Mottled brown-grey body, faint reddish tint along tip of the sail, sometimes on the muzzle as well. Cracks of white commonly pattern the entire animal. Patterns on the sail are either blue or yellow for individuals. When in musth, the faint blue or yellow patterns on each side of the sail become more vibrant when flushed with blood. ''Female -'' Same as male, except the reddish tint is fainter. ''Juvenile (both sexes) -'' pale brown body. '''Diet:' Mostly fish but also immature Deinosuchus, marine mammals as large as small whales, and man-sized dinosaurs. Spinosaurus will also take dying or weakened hadrosaurs as well as carcasses stolen from smaller carnivores. Preferred Habitat: Spinosaurus inhabits the Beach, River, Lagoon, Deep Channel, West Delta, and anywhere else where there is a deep body of water stocked with aquatic prey. Spinosaurus seldom frequents the Game Trail and other open areas owing to its preference for water, as well as competition with Tyrannosaurus and Giganotosaurus. Social Structure: Solitary or breeding pairs with young. Description: Large bipedal carnivore. Spinosaurus is an enormous predator, exceeding both the Tyrannosaurus and Giganotosaurus in size. It the largest carnivorous dinosaur on Isla Sorna. The most recognizable feature of this animal is the huge sail on its back, up to 2 meters tall and filled with blood vessels. The sail is not present in juveniles and develops with age. As well as serving as a sexual indicator, the sail's primary function is to help keep Spinosaurus cool during periods of intense heat, enabling it to cope with the sweltering temperatures of the dry season much more effectively than other animals of a similar size. Other notable features of this animal include its long, crocodile-like jaws containing conical non-serrated teeth and long, powerfully-muscled forelimbs ending in three fingers tipped with sharply-curved claws. The thumb claw is enlarged and is typically used to spear its prey from the water, but it can also used as a weapon against its rivals. Behaviors: Despite its immense size, Spinosaurus prefers to hunt smaller prey than Tyrannosaurus, with fish taking up a large bulk of its diet. It tends to roam near rivers and it is an excellent swimmer; while its body is submerged its tall sail sticks out of the water like a gigantic shark's fin. Spinosaurus can also sometimes be seen wallowing or resting in thick mud; spreading out its body weight to avoid sinking. While other theropods may be able to outrun a Spinosaurus on land, very few can match it in the water as this animal is a very capable and surprisingly agile swimmer. In the water, its only competitor is the giant crocodilian Deinosuchus, but even the smaller individuals may fall prey to this sail-backed carnivore. Spinosaurus produces loud, relatively high-pitched bellows to warn other carnivores - namely other Spinosaurus - to stay away, and it will react aggressively to other animals (or objects) that may appear to be intruding upon its domain. Fights can be deadly - using its powerful forearms and lethal talons, a Spinosaurus will usually aim for the most vulnerable part of its opponent's body - the sail. Filled with blood vessels, a major injury to a Spinosaurus' sail has the potential to cause death by blood-loss. Testosterone-fueled males are even more aggressive and dangerous than females and will take their fury out on any animal unfortunate enough to cross their path. A male's sexual frustrations and aggression are only tempered by mating with a female. A mated pair of Spinosaurus will use neutral territory to lay their eggs and raise their young. Eggs are laid in a tall mound constructed from mud and dung. The male will remain nearby, guarding the female and the nest against other carnivores as well as marauding rogue Spinosaurus. The hatchlings are fed regurgitated fish and meat by both parents, moving steadily onto whole and live prey. When the young are old enough, they are chased away by both parents, and the male and female separate to return to their solitary lives. The young Spinosaurus are at risk of being attacked by their parents or other Spinosaurus at this point, and so they may try and live near Proceratosaurus communities, tricking the smaller carnivores by behaving like the more docile Baryonyx and using their expertise at spotting danger to their advantage. Fights between Spinosaurus and Tyrannosaurus are uncommon owing to their differences in prey and habitat. In fact, Spinosaurus and Tyrannosaurus usually do their best to avoid one another. Altercations between the two species are more often resolved using roars and size to intimidate; actual physical combat is rare due to the high risk of severe or even fatal injury to either party. Important Notice to Our Players: Please keep ingame fights between Tyrannosaurus and Spinosaurus to a minimum. Owing to repeated incidents in the past of this RP, we have altered the Field Guides for each of these species to be more inclined to avoid one another rather than fight, like JP/// would have us believe. Please respect the decisions of the staff. Thank you. Notable Individuals: Category:Dinosaur Category:Carnivore